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#Ukraine President Volodymyr #Zelenskyy met w/European leaders in Brussels, Belgium, on Thurs as his nation seeks to weather continued attacks from #Russia & growing political pressure from #Trump's admin in the #US.
#Zelensky's latest visit comes at a difficult moment for his nation; Trump announced an open-ended pause on all #military #aid & #intelligence sharing in a bid to force Kyiv into negotiating a *peace* deal w/Russia & a #minerals deal w/the US.
#geopolitics
https://abcnews.go.com/International/zelenskyy-arrives-emergency-europe-summit-amid-pressure-us/story?id=119503760
Facing the prospect that the #UnitedStates might cut them adrift under #Trump, #EU leaders held emergency talks to explore new ways to beef up #security & ensure that #Ukraine will still be protected.
Trump has overturned old certainties about the reliability of the #US as a security partner, as he embraces #Russia, withdraws US support for Ukraine & upends the cornerstones of cooperation w/ #Europe that have been the bedrock of Western security since WWII.
#geopolitics
https://apnews.com/article/eu-europe-defense-trump-ukraine-germany-france-e4362b1107c3b41c026147466dd582ce
To add momentum to the effort, European Commission President Ursula #vonderLeyen put forward a plan to loosen budget rules so countries that are willing can spend much more on defense. Her proposal is underpinned by 150B euros ($162B) worth of loans to buy priority #military equipment.
The commission, the #EU’s executive arm, believes its scheme could encourage the 27 member countries to invest a total of around 800B euros ($863B) in #defense over the next 4 years.
President #Zelensky welcomed the plan & expressed hopes that some of it could be used to bolster #Ukraine’s own #defense industry, which can produce weapons more cheaply than elsewhere in #Europe & closer to the battlefields where they are needed.
“We are very thankful that we are not alone, & these are not just words. We feel it. It’s very important,” Zelensky said, looking far more relaxed among Europe’s leaders in Brussels than almost a week ago when he received a verbal lashing from #Trump.
#Europe’s big #summit on its #security future has just wrapped up (midnight). EU leaders are pushing to rapidly ramp up #defense spending & beef up support for #Ukraine as policy in the #UnitedStates changes rapidly. Ursula #vonderLeyen, head of the #EU’s executive arm, has proposed a novel plan meant to pour hundreds of billions of euros into re-arming Europe.
“Today, history is being written,” von der Leyen said at a late-night press conference in Brussels. “The urgency is real.”
#geopolitics